Shirley A. Wessel

Shirley Ann (Foster) Ginch Wessel, 78, of Newtown, CT passed away peacefully on May 30, 2020 after a long illness.

Shirley was born in Danbury, CT on April 11, 1942 the daughter of the late Wendell and Dorothy (Mead) Foster.

She was preceded in death by her husband Gary Wessel of Simsbury, CT.  She is survived by her 2 sons, Brian Ginch and his wife Suzanne of Fairfax, VA and Barry Ginch and his wife Anne Elizabeth of Scottsdale, AZ, stepson Ethan Wessel and his wife Sarah of Phoenix, AZ, and stepdaughter Stephanie Rickard and her husband DJ of Milford, CT.

She also leaves 7 grandchildren, Brandon, Erin, Kylie, Braydon, Addison, Elliot, and Aiden. Shirley is also survived by her sister Arlene Schmidt and her husband Charles of Bethel, CT, and her first husband, James Ginch of Mesa, AZ in addition to several nieces and nephews.

Shirley was a 1960 Bethel High School graduate and earned an Associate’s Degree from Becker College. She spent most of her career as a professional medical transcriptionist supporting numerous doctors and surgeons before retiring in 2002. 

Shirley was a lifelong resident of Connecticut spending her early years in Bethel before moving to Simsbury and ultimately returning to Newtown. She was a member of the First Congregational Church of Bethel and she enjoyed spending time with close family and friends.

In her leisure time she enjoyed the art of crochet, playing the electric organ, and shopping at her favorite stores. Shirley was a cat lover and can now look forward to seeing Nippy, Mojo, Rookie and Rusty again. 

She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and homemaker. You could never walk into a cleaner and more organized home than one kept by Shirley which included the maintenance of an extensive collection of her owl-themed figurines. Known for her sweet tooth, Shirley also loved to bake and made fabulous cakes and pies enjoyed by many through the years.

** A Memorial Service will be held at the Bethel Funeral Home, 215 Greenwood Ave., Bethel, Saturday morning, October 10, 2020 at 11:00 Am. Burial of her ashes will follow at Elmwood Cemetery, Bethel.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Shirley to the Bethel Education Foundation at betheledfoundation.org or the American Cancer Society.